Raleigh, N.C. — A Democratic group formed to bring legal and ethical challenges against Republican campaigns has filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission against American Crossroads' support for Thom Tillis, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate in North Carolina.

The complaint by the American Democracy Legal Fund revolves around a tactic that has been used by Democrats and Republicans in North Carolina and elsewhere to funnel campaign-style footage from campaigns to nonprofit groups, who are technically prohibited from coordinating with an individual campaign.

American Crossroads, an independent spending organization affiliated with Karl Rove, a strategist for former President George W. Bush, has aired ads backing Tillis in his bid to unseat Sen. Kay Hagan, a first-term Democrat. According to Kantar Media, the group has aired nearly $1 million worth of ads since Jan. 1 in North Carolina.

In the case of the North Carolina campaign, ADLF points to an April ad by American Crossroads that lauded Tillis as a "true to our values" Republican who would oppose the Affordable Care Act, which some people call "Obamacare."

Some of the material comes from the Tillis campaign itself. In a practice first made famous by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Tillis has posted a long video showing him in corporate settings, on the campaign trail and talking with his wife. Crossroads lifted a clip from that footage of Tillis speaking with voters to use in the group's ad.

The practice supposedly skirts prohibitions on coordination between campaigns, which have fundraising limits, and independent nonprofits such as American Crossroads, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money and often don't have to disclose their donors.

"When American Crossroads paid to distribute the Tillis campaign's material, that payment became an illegal, excessive contribution to Tillis's campaign," reads the ADLF complaint. "These actions are in direct violation of the Federal Elections Campaign Act. and its safeguards designed to ensure 'soft money' is not used to fund campaigns for federal office."

Independent spending groups are an increasingly important part of modern political campaigns. Of the roughly $21 million Kantar estimates has been spent on the North Carolina Senate race since Jan. 1, $15.7 million has been spent by groups not directly affiliated with a candidate or political party. Most of those are organized in such a way that they don't face fundraising and spending limits that would apply to candidates, and many don't have disclose where their money comes from.

Tillis' campaign declined to comment on the complaint.

"Our ads follow the standards laid out by the FEC," said American Crossroads spokesman Paul Lindsay. "This is a frivolous complaint filed by a partisan Democrat overtly interested in seeking publicity for himself and his liberal organization."

A spokesman for the FEC said the election regulator could not comment on an active complaint.

However, on at least two prior occasions, the FEC has dismissed similar complaints. In a January 2012 ruling, for example, it dismissed a complaint against American Crossroads for helping an Ohio Republican in a U.S. Senate campaign there.

"The Commission found no reason to believe that the Committee accepted an excessive in-kind contribution from American Crossroads in the form of a coordinated communication because there was no information that respondents satisfied any of the tests for the conduct prong of the coordination regulation," according to an FEC summary.

FEC Commissioners who offered their rationale at the time said that American Crossroads did not repeat the candidate's message but rather used the lifted material to create a new message.

If ADLF's complaint were successful, it would have implications for Democrats and Republicans alike. Hagan benefited from at least one commercial aired in the primary that drew from video she had posted online.

miseemSep 11, 2014

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Not sure of your source JOSEPH, but I'm willing to take those stats at face value b/c quite frankly I don't care enough to look them up. In a non-partisan effort, how many bills are sitting on Boehner's desk and what are their breakdowns?

— Posted by heelhawk

Tried to post this yesterday, but got censored. Can't quite understand how " rabid left wing loonies" can be posted in another comment but when I provide a link to refute josephlawrence, it gets dropped. But cut and google "352 bills are sitting on Harry Reid’s desk, awaiting action" for an article by Politifact to refute most of this claim, particularly concerning any bills of significant value to the US. Unless you think naming a post office is important.

Edward LevySep 11, 2014

So they bring Karl Rove & former President in to the issue. What is their connection to this complaint, other then seeking publicity.Have the tow of them, actually been any part of it. Thankfully as an INDEPENDENT, I can pick my candidates on merit, not slander. I am only interested inISSUES, not this type of back biting

Phil LarsonSep 11, 2014

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Its so obvious that Wral is bias...I haven`t one positive story about Republicans.

— Posted by Steve Lancaster

There's nothing positive to report.

B.c. JimmySep 11, 2014

the 1950s werent so bad teleman60.

rcsserSep 10, 2014

Liberal desperation making conservatives look even better. Thank you.

heelhawkSep 10, 2014

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For general information regarding the bills on Harry Reids desk:352 bills are sitting on Harry Reid’s desk, awaiting action.

"98 percent of them passed with bipartisan support -- Republicans and Democrats working together to pass legislation.

"50 percent of the bills passed unanimously, with no opposition.

"70 percent of the bills passed with two-thirds support in the House.

"And over 55 bills were introduced by Democrats.

— Posted by Joseph Shepard

Not sure of your source JOSEPH, but I'm willing to take those stats at face value b/c quite frankly I don't care enough to look them up. In a non-partisan effort, how many bills are sitting on Boehner's desk and what are their breakdowns?

European AmericanSep 10, 2014

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Harry Reid--Majority Leader (Democrat) of the US Senate has over 300 bills passed by the House (many with BIPARTISAN support) sitting on his desk and refuses to even allow them to be discussed. Now that is a truly cooperative and positive attitude and behavior isn't it???

— Posted by Joseph Shepard

And about 299 of those Bills are attempts to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. The other 1 is most likely just as worthless. And when you capitalize bipartisan support, trying to show it in some extra emphasis manner, try to identify how many from the other party supported it. Was it 1 person, 2 ? I would leave those Bills sitting on the desk for the rest of time.

European AmericanSep 10, 2014

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Democrats are obviously getting desperate if they are suing over a made up event like this.

— Posted by Bob Smith

Yeah.. who cares if laws are broken, right?

teleman60Sep 10, 2014

That's right, republicans get to whine and blame everything that has happened in the last 40 years on Obama but then they also get to live in Congress and do NOTHING FOR 6 YEARS but make sure nothing happens and refuse to vote on war powers issues that Obama called for OVER A YEAR AGO FOR SYRIA!!

They block every bill that could help America and obstruct every govt appointment so WE HAVE NO AMBASSADORS, NO DEPARTMENT HEADS, the ATF was running without a Sec for 5.5 years!! There is NO RUSSIAN AMB, NO TURKISH AMB, NO IRAQI AMB.

Republicans like Tillis, Rove and the Koch boys are determine to "take the country back TO THE 1950's." They are willing to obstruct and purposely hurt America as long as THEY aren't in complete charge.

heelhawkSep 10, 2014

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I think you have that backwards. Considering the pending impeachment of Nixon for trying to weaponize the IRS and the fact that President Obama continues to do so...